Engine-starting apparatus



Nov. 19, 1929. E. v. RIPPINGILLE ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Fihd July 14, 1927 Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD V. RIPPINGILLE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY COR- IPORATION, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE ENGINE-STARTING APPARATUS Application filed July 14,

This invention relates to a fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine and particularly to such an engine used for propelling vehicles.

It is among the objects of the present in vention to facilitate the starting of the internal combustion engine.

Another object is to provide the engine with a fuel supply in addition to that supplied by the carburetor while the engine is being cranked.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

' The above objects are obtained by providing the engine, in addition to the usual carburetor, with a supercharger which is adapted to deliver to the explosion chambers, a substantially thorough mixture at substantially high velocity either during the starting or cranking operation or at times subsequent the'lreto, when the engine has a tendency to sta l.

The present device may replace the usual carburetor choke since it operates more effectively than the choke to provide the de- 0 sired fuel mixture for engine starting.

Referring to the drawing which diagrammatically illustrates the present invention, the numeral designates a housing in which the engine flywheel gear 55 is located. A mounting collar 21 serves to secure the electric starting motor 50 to the housing 20. Within the mounting collar 21 and shown in dotted lines, is provided a shiftable member 40 22 including the pinion 54 adapted to be shifted into engagement with the flywheel gear 55 by the counter-clockwise operation of the lever 23 pivoted to the collar 21 at the point 24. Rod 59 is secured to the outer, 45 free end of the lever 23 and extends through 1927. Serial No. 205,781.

the floor board 25 so that the rod may be depressed by the operator.

Upon the starting motor housing there is provided a switch 64, the movable member of which is adapted to be engaged by the end of the lever 23 whereby the switch is closed to permit current to flow from the battery 25 through the wire 36 across the switch 64 through the motor fields and brushes to the ground 27. Another switch 82, when closed, closes a circuit from the bat-,

tery 25 through the motor to the ground. The closing of either; one of these switches 64 or 82 causes rotation of the motor. It will be seen that to close switch 64 it is necessary to have the pinion 54 in engagement with the engine gear 55, thus this circuit is closed for cranking purposes only. When the switch 82 is closed, however, the motor may oper ate without being connected with the engine ear. g The armature shaft 27 extends beyond the end housing of the motor and carries the gear 28 which is in constant driving connection with the pinion 29. Pinion 29 is mounted upon shaft 30 which extends into the housing of the super-charger 26 and has the operating portions of the super-charger mounted thereon.

The super-charger is provided with a con duit 31 in which is located a butterfly valve 39 supported on a rod, the one end of which extends outside of the conduit and has the bell crank lever 40 mounted thereon. An extension 32 is connected with the conduit 31 and provides communication between the super-charger and the intake pipe 33 of the engine. Connected to and communicating with this intake pipe 33 is the carburetor 35, which includes a throttle 7 6 supported on a stem, the outer end of which carries the bell crank lever 80. A fuel supply reservoir 90 is fed by the pipe 91 which connects with the main fuel supply tank (not shown). A chamber 92 is provided adjacent the carburetor reservoir, said chamber 92 having a valved communication 94 with the carburetor reservoir, said valve 94 being normally closed. Pipe 93 leads from the chamber 92 to the super-charger 26. A bell crank lever 95 is pivotally supported on the carburetor bowl, one end of which connects with the valve 94. Rod 96 connects the other end of the bell crank lever 95 with the slotted end 40 of the bell crank lever 40. A rod 79 connects the end 40 of the bell crank lever 40 with the'end 80 of the throttle bell, crank lever, while the end 80 of said throttle bell crank lever is connected with the foot accelerator rod 78.

Rod 60 connects with the butterfly valve bell crank lever portion 40 at its one end, the other end of said rod extending through the toe board 25 of the vehicle and through a plate 100 secured to the said toe board. On the free end of this rod is provided a knob 75. Three members A, B and C are provided on the. rod which cooperate with the spring 101 to provide stops for different positions of the rod 60. A spring 102 normally exerts a force upon the rod 60 to hold it in a ignition circuit (not shown) is closed and the starting rod 59 is depressed by the operator whereby the aforementioned starting circuit will be completed and the pinion 54 will be moved into engagement with the flywheel gear 55 thus causing the motor to rotate the engine for cranking purposes. The rotation of the engine will provide a suction upon the carburetor causing the carburetor to deliver a fuel supply to the engine; Under ordinary conditions, it'will be understood, the rod 60 is in a normal position as shown in the drawing, in which case rotation of the supercharger during the cranking operation will not deliver fuel to the engine due to the fact that the valve 39 is closed.

Not being able to start the engine under the above mentioned circumstances, the operator now pullsthe knob 75 thus drawing the rod 60 into the B position in which the valve 39 is partly open as well as the valve 94, thus providing communication between the super-charger and the fuel reservoir, and the super-charger and the engine, and consequently permitting the super-charger to deliver a fuel mixture to the engine. It will be seen that the opening of valve 39 due to the counter-clockwise operation of the bell crank lever 40 will cause the rod 79 to move the throttle 76 toward the closing position.

If the engine starts, the operator releases pressure upon the rod 59 and thus disconnects the motor from the engine and the battery. However, if the engine has atendency to mis-fire or stall, the operator draws the button 75 to the extreme outward position marked C, thus moving the rod 60 so that the member 103 will close the switch 82 and at the same time widely open the valve 39. Closing of the switch 82 will cause the m0- tor to operate, the pinion at 54 however remaining in the engine disconnected position. Under these conditions the motor will be driving the super-charger, causing it to deliver fuel mixture through the conduits 31 and 32 to the engine intake 33, this fuel mixture being sufliciently rich to cause the engine operation to be maintained.

As soon as the engine has become self operative, the button 75 is pushed to its normal position as shown in the drawin at which time the motor is disconnected mm the battery and the valves 39 and 94 are closed, and under these conditions the engine will receive all of its fuel from the carburetor.

One advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that while the engine is misfiring or having a tendency to stall, the fuel supply is not dependent upon the meager suction produced by the engine under these conditions, but, on the contrary, fuel mixture may be directed to the engine, under pressure, from the super-charger, thus assuring a full supply of fuel mixture to the engine, facilitating its operation.

l/Vhilethe form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that ot er forms-might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. W hat is claimed is as follows:

1. A fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a carburetor adapted to deliver the main fuel supply to the engine; a super-charger adapted to deliver an auxiliary fuel supply to the engine; a starting motor having a constant driving connection with the super-charger and a disengageable connection with the engine; means for connecting the starting motor with the engine and for causing it to operate to rotate both engine and supercharger; and means for causing the motor to operate to rotate the super-charger alone.

2. A fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, an engine intake pipe; a carburetor connected to said pipe and adapted to deliver the main fuel supply thereto; a super-charger having a conduit connecting with the intake pipe, said super-charger being adapted to deliver an auxiliary fuel supply thereto; a normally closed valve in said conduit; a starting motor having a constant driving connection with the super-charger and a disengageable connection with the engine; means for connecting the starting motor with the engine 5 and for causing it to opearte to rotate both the engine and super-charger; and means for opening the valve in the conduit and for causing the starting motor to operate without connecting it to the engine.

3. An engine fuelsupply device comprising in combination, a carburetor adapted to provide the main fuel mixture supply for'the engine; a super-charger adapted to provide a fuel mixture of different characteristics from that supplied by the carburetor a motor having constant driving connections with the super-charger; shiftable means for connecting the motor with the engine for starting purposes; controlling means adapted to operate the shiftable means for connecting the motor and engine and for causing the motor to operate to crank the engine and drive the super-charger; and means operable into one position to cause the super-charger to deliver fuel to the engine when the motor is cranking said engine, and to another position to cause the motor to rotate independently of the operation of the controlling means for driving the super-charger alone, to deliver fuel to the engine.

4. A fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a carburetor having a throttle and a fuel supply reservoir; a super-charger provided with a conduit connected with the engine; a normally closed valve in the conduit; a pipe connecting the super-charger and the carburetor reservoir; a valve normally shutting off communication between the super-charger and the carbuertor reservoir; means connecting the two valves; a rod connecting the supercharger conduit valve with the throttle; an electric starting motor having gearing adapted to be moved into connection with the engine; two switches, singly operable to cause the motor to rotate; a starting pedal operable to connect the motor with the engine and to close one of said switches for cranking purposes; means'for concurrently opening the throttle and closing the valve in the supercharger conduit; and means operable from normal into one position, to open the valves in the super-charger conduit and carburetor reservoir, and to close the throttle, for causing the super-charger to deliver fuel to the engine when it is driven by the motor during the startingoperation, said means being operable into another position for closing the other switch while maintaining the valves open and the throttle closed whereby to cause operation of the motor independently of the starting pedal for driving the super-charger alone.

5. A fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a main mixture forming device, an auxiliary mixture forming device capable of forming a mixture differing substantially from the mixture of the main mixture forming device, an engine cranking device connectible with the engine for cranking purposes but operatively connected with the auxiliary mixture device at all times, and means normally rendering the said auxiliary mixture forming device ineffective, but operable to render it effective during the entire cranking operation or any portion thereof.

6. A fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a carburetor adapted to deliver the main mixture supply to the engine, an auxiliary mixture forming device adapted to deliver a mixture, richer than the carburetor mixture, to said engine, a common fuel reservoir for the carburetor and auxiliary mixture forming device, valves normally rendering the said auxiliary device ineflective, an

.electric starting motor, means manually operable to cause the motor to rotate and for connecting the motor with the engine for auxiliary mixture forming device adapted to form a mixture differing in characteristics from the mixture of the carburetor and deliver it under pressure to the engine, an engine cranking devcie connectible with the engine for cranking purposes and operative ly connected with the auxiliary mixture forming device, at all times, and means for controlling the delivery of the mixture from the said auxiliary mixture forming device to the "engine whereby said auxiliary mixture delivery may be effective during the entifre cranking operation or any portion there- 0 I 8. A fuel supply device for an internal combustion engine comprising in combination, a carburetor provided with a reservoir, adapted to deliver the main mixture supply to the engine, a super-charger having conduits connecting it with the carburetor reservoir and the engine, said super-charger beingv adapted to provide an auxiliary mixture supply to the engine of different characteristics than the carburetor mixture, normally closed valves in the conduits of the super-charger, a starting motor adapted to be connected with the engine for starting purposes, said motor having constant driving connections with the super-charger,

means for connecting the starting motor with the engine and for causing. said motor to.

EDWARD V. RIPPINGILLE. 

